braces

Is it weird to get braces for the first time as an adult? I ask, because it seems like people are fussing over Khloe Kardashian's decision to get braces as a 28-year-old. These days, you don't have to wear the metal braces that I had to endure in elementary school because there's Invisalign, so I just don't understand why this is a big deal. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, Khloe is part of a growing number of people over the age of 18 who are straightening their teeth. From 1994 to 2010, the percentage of adults getting braces rose 58 percent, from 680,000 to 1.1 million a year. Khloe's smile looks pretty great to me, so I'm not sure it's necessary, but apparently a few of her teeth are crooked. Either way, I say we should all be able to make minor beauty tweaks without it becoming headline news (although when your last name is Kardashian, I guess it isn't possible to do anything under the radar). Would you get braces as an adult? Do you think there's anything weird about getting braces for the first time at 28? Photo: Getty Images read more

Personally, I couldn't wait to get my braces off when I was 11, but apparently, some folks in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malayasia feel differently—in fact, they're getting braces not to straighten out their teeth, but as a fashion statement. Yes, The Daily News is reporting that young people overseas are buying what they call "fashion braces" meaning fake metal-and-rubber brackets for $100 each. They even come in patterns like Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse. How they get them to stay on, I don't know—apparently, they come in DIY kits, but the process or how long they last isn't clear to me. But Vice points out that two teens have actually died from faux braces gone bad (one, thanks to a thyroid infection triggered by the braces), so I can't say that I advise anyone to look into them. What do you think about this trend, gang? Is this nuts? Kind of wish it was the in this to have them when you were young? Think it would ever catch on here? Discuss. Photos: Bananastock/Think Stock read more

I'll speak for all of us old enough to have experienced the orthodontic torture device known as "headgear" when I say that the invention of Invisalign--those clear, removable trays that straighten your teeth like braces--seems almost too miraculous to be real. However, I'm wondering what the experience of wearing the trays is really like. Anyone care to share? read more